PHOTO COURTESY Of WMMER MOTHERS RECORDS
Erasure's Andy Ball having a ‘Wild’ time on latest tour. Bell puts on
some ot Ihe most eccentric performances ol today's new artists
Oh L’Andy! Erasure duo
By David Levin
■ The Daily Targum
Rutgers U.
M 'Hello, Swing Studio.'
t “Yes. hello, Andy Bell, please.’
‘Just a moment, 1 think he’s running
“around here somewhere .’
The voice distinctly said running — not
hanging, not sitting. Heck, I wouldn't have been sur
pnsed if the voice said flying.
This was going to be Andy Bell, the sometimes
effeminate, always energetic and openly gav lead
singer of the latest new wave crossover success
1 story: Erasure
The band’s popularity has never been greater as
tiie duo of Bell and Vince Clarke just finished their
world tour, promoting their latest album, “Wild.’
1 remember seeing Erasure put on a very mini
i mal, but ever-enticing, club show several years ago
| when their tour brought them to the East. Sure,
i that concert was sold out, too. Eventually. But
i things are different today
Very different.. .
Andy Bell: We had the stage set ifor the 'Wild"
tour) specially designed to kind of fill the place. The
set is multi-tiered, and it’s supposed to be the sur
face of a new planet. We’ve got lots of foliage and
big plants It's kind of a sci-fi show
U. What story is the stage set trying to tell?
AB: Well, the idea of a new planet was because
we messed up our own and this is a new place...."
17.: For Christmas 1988, you did two shows in
Birmingham where you used a live drummer for the
first time. What was that like?
AB: 1 think it was very hard for him (Jonti, the
drummer) because there were computerized drums
as well. It was quite good having someone like him
because 1 have the same problems being a singer.
When you re singing to sequencers, everything is
quite rigid and there’s not a lot of room for impro
visation . Because it’s not really a live band, you can't
slow it down, you’re not really a conductor.
U.: Are you still familiarizing yourself with the
American music market?
AB: 1 don't really understand the American mar
ket. In America, it takes at least 12 weeks for a sin
gle to chart. Whereas in the U.K., a week after
release an Erasure track is, like, top 20, and it’s kind
of in and out within two months.
U.: Well, it didn’t used to be that way. Erasure's
original singles didn’t break the top 60.
AB: (laughs) Yeah, the first three singles
17.: And then “Sometimes," your fourth single,
went to number one. It sounded like the same music
from the previous singles. I mean, if “Sometimes
can hit, why didn’t “Who Needs Love" hit and why
didn’t "Oh L’amour" hit?
AB: When we recorded the first album ... 1
remember thinking, “God, this stuff is too commer
cial compared to the Yazoo material.” It wasn’t
picked up on the radio and it was even more sugar)
and more pop than Abba. When “Sometimes" came
along, I think it was just a little bit less ... well, it
was still commercial, but it wasn't so sugary.
U.: The work you did with Stephen Hauge on “The
Innocents" must be considered the turning point in
your American career. Some consider working with
a major dance producer a sellout.
AB: I don’t know, I wouldn’t consider it a sellout.
I mean, I really enjoy his work; I think he’s got a
really good track record. He doesn’t just work with
blatantly commercial disco pop bands
17.: What was your reaction when you foundoutthe
audition you were going for was Vince Clarke's new
band?
AB: I was very excited because I was a real Alison
Moyet (from Yazoo, Clarke’s former band) fan. My